Chapter 16
"I think you've had enough to drink, Anne-girl," Gilbert said with a grin as he took Anne's cup from her. She was very clearly wasted and he had to admit she was pretty adorable when she was intoxicated. Drunk Anne was smiling and happy. Not only had she sought him out, she was even smiling at him and had told him he had pretty eyes. She had laughed when he jokingly offered her a map in reference to one of his cheesy pickup lines he had tried to use on her. Now she was sitting and talking to him without any hostility or the avoidance that had characterized the last week. He had deftly manoeuvred her away from the main party where they had been constantly interrupted by others so that he could have her to himself.
"I need to learn how to kiss," Anne abruptly told him. "Can you teach me?"
"You want me to teach you how to kiss?" Gilbert asked confused yet elated at the notion of kissing Anne.
"Yes. Josie says you have loads of experience and therefore you must be an expert. I have never kissed anyone so I feel like I should learn before my first real kiss, don't you think so?"
"You've never been kissed?" Gilbert asked grinning, intending to be her first, last and every kiss in between with that knowledge.
"No. Which is why I need to learn. They don't offer a course on kissing in college though. I know I'm ages behind everyone in that so I've decided I should learn. I don't know why I never thought of it before, but it's a brilliant idea to have someone tutor me. You can show me how to kiss, but because it will only be practice kissing it won't count as my first real kiss."
"I promise I'll show you how to kiss, Anne," Gilbert said leaning closer to her. "When your sober," he added kissing her forehead. He wanted badly to kiss Anne, but he had no intention of taking advantage of her intoxicated state to do so. He also wanted Anne to remember their first kiss and he suspected she, by this point, had to much to drink to do so, as evidenced by her requesting he teach her to kiss.
"But why can't you teach me right now?" Anne asked perplexed as she laid her head on his shoulder and yawned.
"Becuase sweetheart," Gilbert said. "You are about ready to pass out. I think it's time to get you back to your dorm room."
"Oh I don't have my keys. Diana has hers. I can't leave until I find Di," Anne said snuggling in closer to him.
"Di, Fred and everyone headed toward the Sigma Kappa party. Come on, you can sleep it off in my room," Gilbert said helping her to stand up. Tucking her under his arm he steered them back through the noise of the party and out the door.
When the cold air outside hit them, Anne giggled and said, "The winter wind is greeting us! Helloooo wind" she called happily. Then drawing closer to Gilbert for warmth she asked, "Do you think snowflakes will soon be dancing in the air to the ground? I love fresh snow, especially the first snow of the season. It is like a brand new start unmarred by mistakes. I hope it snows for Di's sake. We are helping her with her film project tomorrow. It's to be silent and the fresh fallen snow would be such a picturesque background for Di to work with."
"What's Di's project?" Gilbert asked enjoying the feel of Anne snuggled up against him, his arm around her.
"A short enactment of the Lady if Shallot. Yours truly is to play Elaine, though Elaine should not be redhaired. I was over ruled, seeing it is Di's project. I thought Ruby would make a marvelous Elaine."
"And why should Elaine not be redhaired?" Gilbert asked.
"Becuase she is said to be fair. Ruby claims she couldn't possibly lay there and pretend to be dead without giggling though."
"And is your red hair to alive for the dead Elaine?" Gilbert asked grinning.
"No," Anne said, and stubbornly added, "But Elaine still shouldn't be red haired. Who ever heard of a red haired Lily Maid? She is supposed to be beautiful. "
"But you are beautiful," Gilbert pointed out.
"Tolerable I suppose, but with carrot hair?" Anne said making a face at him, her doubt of his statement clear.
"The only thing more beautiful than your hair is your soul," Gilbert said honestly.
Anne blinked at him in surprise, but before she could tease him for his remark, part of what she considered his usual overblown flattery and charm, she was distracted. "Oh look Gilbert, the moon looks so beautiful tonight. I wish I could reach out and touch it and put a little bit under my pillow to ensure pleasant dreams."
"Moonlight under your pillow for pleasant dreams?" Gilbert teased. "Why not sunshine?"
"Oh I think sunshine under ones pillow for pleasant dreams would be equally nice. There are so many wonderful things you could put under a pillow for pleasant dreams," Anne said happily. "What would you put under yours?"
Silently Gilbert thought he would put her, not under his pillow, but on it next to him for pleasant dreams, but out loud he said, "I dunno, maybe some apples if it meant I got to dream of eating apple pie."
"Spoken like the son of a true apple farmer," Anne said smiling. "Do you miss being on the farm? Sometimes I wish I was still at Green Gables with my cow Dolly, helping Matthew."
"I can't say I'd rather be anywhere then where I am right now," Gilbert said looking at her.
"Redmond is nice. I'm glad I made it here. To be alive and out in the world is a wonderful thing," she said before yawning again.
"Come on, let's get you inside before you fall asleep," Gilbert said seeing she was starting to stumble more and appearing almost asleep as she leaned against him. They walked on and he quickly ushered them into the residence hall and towards his room attempting to keep Anne awake just a little longer. Once in his room he offered Anne a t shirt and some shorts to sleep in. Anne, half asleep already, accepted.
He stepped outside into the hall so she could change and when she didn't respond to his knock, he cautiously opened the door, to see her sound asleep already in his bed. Gilbert silently closed the door and leaning back agaisnt it studied her for a few moments. Then he quickly changed into a fresh t-shirt and gym shorts to sleep in as well. He considered that he could bed down on the floor or even the couches in the common area, but decided while he wouldn't take advantage of Anne while she was drunk, he certianly was no saint. He sent a quick text to Diana that Anne was passed out but safe. After Diana responded, he climbed in bed next to her, pulling her into his arms. She sleepily nuzzled into him and he planted a soft kiss on her head, thinking that her hair really did look just as marvelous as he had thought it would on his pillow.
…
Gilbert woke the next morning to Anne still snuggled into him and sound asleep. Going up on one elbow, he lightly brushed some of her hair off her face and gazed at her as she slept. He was tempted to kiss her awake, but he remembered Phillipa adamantly commanding him that it would be a really, really bad idea to kiss Anne in an attempt to get her to like him. Drunk Anne last night had liked him and had even asked him to teach her how to kiss, a promise he wanted to fufill, but he wasn't sure how sober Anne would feel about him this morning.
He quietly watched her and when she began to stir he couldn't help but smile at how she slowly woke up, her eyelids fluttering and then slowly starting to stretch. Uopon coming into contact with him as she stretched, her eyes flew open. Seeing him she abruptly sat up and looked at him wide eyed.
"Morning, Anne," he said grinning.
"I'm-" Anne said with trepidation.
"In my room. Di had left the party and you didn't have your keys and needed some where to crash. So here we are."
"Oh," Anne said faintly. "Thank you for er seeing I had some where to crash. I am afraid last night is a bit fuzzy. I didn't mean to have that much to drink. I um, don't have a lot of experience drinking."
"Well you asked me to kiss you last night," Gilbert said with a grin.
"I what!" Anne shrieked.
"Well you ask me to teach you how to kiss, but semantics," Gilbert said winking.
"And?" Anne said blushing in embarrassment.
"I was a complete gentleman, but promised to teach you when you were sober. So seeing has how your sober this morning," he said trailing off and playfully waggling his eyebrows at her.
"I think I'll pass on the kissing lessons, " Anne said faintly, still blushing.
"You're right, we should definitely eat breakfast first. Kissing lessons can wait until after. Come on," Gilbert said getting up and out of bed and grabbing her hand to pull her with him. "We better get down there before there is a line at the omlete station."
"I need to text Di-"
"I text her last night. She knows your safe. She said not to let you wake her crazy early, that when the rest of the world wake's up is soon enough to shoot her project. So come on, breakfast, Anne. We have to eat and you end up eating with me most mornings anyway."
"Um, my clothes-"
"You look great in mine and I'm starving. You can change once Di is awake," Gilbert said pleased she hadn't yet removed her hand from his yet.
"Okay," Anne said doubtfully as she allowed him to tow her out of the room. Gilbert, deciding he might as well be bold since she hadn't objected yet to the hand holding, threw an arm over her shoulders and tucked her under it, up close to him. She startled, but didn't say anything about it, looking very confused still, as he chattered on about nothing to put her more at ease as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. "And then kissing lessons," Gilbert finished his statement with a grin causing Anne to hiss, "I don't need kissing lessons. I was drunk!"
"Ah, but I promised and therefore I am honor bound to see them through," Gilbert said unrepentant. "But after breakfast probably isn't enough time to do so, so it will have to wait until after you meet up with Di and the girls so we will have a couple hours."
"How long do you think it takes to teach someone to kiss?" Anne asked him incredously before quickly adding, "Not that I am planning on following through with an idea that occurred to me only because I was drunk. Trust me, you aren't honor bound to see your promise through, consider yourself released."
"Nope. A promise is a promise, and sometime in the future I'm giving you kissing lessons. And trust me it's gonna take hours."
"You think I'll be that bad of a kisser," Anne demanded insulted.
"Oh no, I think you'll be a natural. Just once I finally get to kiss you Anne Shirely I don't intend to stop kissing you for a few hours. And that's just the first time," he said winking at her.
Anne's mouth dropped open and she gave a huff before changing the subject. But Gilbert was pleased to note she didn't pull immediately away from him even as they rode the elevator down and stepped out, headed towards the dinning hall attached to the dorm.
"Gilbert," Gertie said smugly spotting them as she entered the residence hall, still wearing her clothing from last night, her make up smeared. "Did you finally manage to land Anne into the sack to get some? Its about time you hooked up with her, you've been trying to get into her pants for weeks. Hopefully now that you have you'll be more receptive to friendly invitations from others," She said with a malicious smirk. "The fellow I went home with last night ended up being a real jerk and kicked me out of his bed this morning and he wasn't half as handsome as you."
Anne had stiffened at Gertie's first statement and then shrugging Gilbert's arm off her shoulders, said stiffly, "Morning Gertie," and then without looking at Gilbert, whirled around and catching the elevator some students had just stepped off of, boarded it and watched the doors close, her face pale.
Gilbert had attempted to call her name and go after her, but Gertie had latched herself onto his arm. Pushing her away from how she was attempting to drape her body on him he said, "Don't you get it? I'm not interested. Why would you say something like that in front of Anne?"
"Because if it weren't for her, things would be going differently, but instead you've been panting after her for over a month," Gertie said angrily. "Do you really think the sex with little miss can't even stand to be in the same room alone with a boy would be any good? Better then the sex you could be having with girls with more experience? She is such a prude! You should have seen her when Charlie stopped by her and Di's room the other day. I walked by her open door and she was leaning away from him like he had the plauge and then Stella and Pris went tearing in there freaking out that Moody had said Charlie was upstairs talking to Anne alone. Like Charlie isn't good enough for high and mighty Anne Shirley!"
Gilbert shook his head and walked away. He knew he didn't just want to hook up with Anne, but girls like Gertie, Josie and some he knew from his freshman year, were convinced he was only trying to get in Anne's pants. He could easily admit to himself that he did want to have sex with Anne, but the fact was he also wanted to hold her, to listen to her talk and just spend time with her. He hadn't even kissed her last night and it had been the best night of his life. He was fine to take things slow with Anne, just as long as he was with her. Having made massive strides in ground last night as far as Anne went, he was not going to lose them today because of a Pye.
Gilbert headed upstairs, stopping by his room to collect Anne's clothing and then went and knocked on Anne and Diana's door. When a sleepy Diana opened it, he opened his mouth to ask for Anne, but Diana muttered stepping outside and closing the door partially behind her, "Not a good time. Give her a chance to cool down. She knows what a bitch Gertie is. She'll remember that soon and figure out that Gertie was trying to be a jerk."
"Here's her clothes. I-" Gilbert said feebly.
"I know you were a complete gentleman, Gil. If you really were just trying to get in her pants you would have taken advantage of her last night," Diana assured him. "And trust me, she wouldn't have ended up alone with you no matter how drunk she was if she didn't trust you. After the first week of school we went out and got drunk off a few shots, Charlie tried to get her alone and she refused to leave the main party. She literally sat on the floor and told him to go away she was staying there. It was pretty funny. She pulled Ruby and Stella onto the ground with her and announced there was strength in numbers. Those three sat on the floor and did more shots and when some guy tried to help her up she refused and her, Stella and Ruby drunkenly somehow managed to stand up and stumble home with me, Jane and Pris at the end of the night."
"Yea I remember that. You called me and I found you guys giggling in the lobby and had to help you make it up to your rooms. Those three were pretty drunk, I thought I was going to have to carry them," Gilbert said remembering how he had left the Lambs party as early as possible hoping to catch up with Anne that night.
"Anne had never done shots before," Diana said giggling. "And be honest, you wouldn't have minded carrying Anne upstairs."
"No, I wouldn't have," Gilbert admitted grinning. "I would have been thrilled too. Tell her I'll talk to her later, okay?"
"Will do. We are shooting my film project today on the south quad where that little lake is and should finish up around 2 if you just so happen to show up and be in the area," Diana told him with a knowing grin.
"I was just thinking how peaceful it would be to study out that way this afternoon, " Gilbert responded with a smile.
